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Glite Dictionary
octosyllable

octosyllable

9.9
A line in a poem with eight syllables or a poem made of such lines
  • noun
  • /ˌɑktoʊˈsɪləbəl/
  • Literature
translation icon : octosílabo
  • Many medieval French poems are written in octosyllable to maintain a consistent meter.

Examples

  • The poet used the octosyllable to create a brisk, rhythmic tone in her verses.

  • Writing an octosyllable can be challenging due to the strict syllabic structure.

  • An octosyllable is often used in traditional poetry.

  • The poet wrote an octosyllable for the competition.

  • Many medieval French poems are written in octosyllable to maintain a consistent meter.

  • The poet used the octosyllable to create a brisk, rhythmic tone in her verses.

  • Writing an octosyllable can be challenging due to the strict syllabic structure.

How Long

alexandrine
  • Literature
1 9.9
hendecasyllable
  • Literature
9.9
octosyllable
  • Literature
9.9
disyllable
  • Specialized
7.9
monosyllable
2 6.3

Surface Forms

octosyllable singular
octosyllables plural

Morphology

octosyllable = syllable (semi-transparent) = octo + syllable + octo

Formed from the combining form 'octo-' meaning 'eight' plus 'syllable'; the numeric prefix is regular but is a bound combining form that some learners may not recognize.

Etymology

Octosyllable combines octo- 'eight' and syllable 'a unit of sound in a word'. So an octosyllable is a line of poetry that has exactly eight syllables.